This morning, in order to avoid the screaming and crying surrounding teeth brushing , I said to Alban “I am going to set the timer and if you can brush your teeth and come down before the timer goes off, then I will give you a trinket.”  Trinkets are usually things that my husband finds in his junk drawer and lets the kids choose from.  For some reason this is a big deal and trinkets have become quite the hot commodity at our house.

This is what I got in response from Alban (imagine in a 4-year-old voice which involves dropping r’s):

“You don’t have any trinkets.  You are not a trinket person, so why would you say that you would give me a trinket.  You are not a trinket person.  But if you think you have a trinket then you can give me a trinket.  But I don’t want you to set the timer for one minute.  I need more time.  I want it to be ten.  Ten minutes.  And you can’t set the timer until I get to the bathroom and I call down and tell you that I have started to brush my teeth.  Do you have my trinket now?  Can I see it?  I don’t want to brush my teeth before I see it.  I need to know.  Because you are not a trinket person.  Do I have to put my toothbrush away?  How long do I get for that?  I want ten on the the timer.  Not one or two or three, but I need ten.  Don’t start my time until I get up there to brush my teeth.  I will tell you when I am ready for you to start the timer.  If you don’t have my trinket you need to look for one now.  I want to choose.  I need more than one to choose from, mom.  So don’t start the timer on ten until I get up to the bathroom and start brushing my teeth.  I will tell you when I am ready.  O.k.  I am going up the steps now but don’t start the timer.  I am not in the bathroom yet.  I don’t want you to put it on ten until I tell you that you can start the timer.  OK!!   YOU CAN PUT IT ON TEN  …. “

I won’t go into what he had to say about the two trinkets from which I let him choose.  He ended up with both.